Refined, Cold-Blooded Murder
by benedictedcumberbabeof221
Summary: Valkyrie and Skulduggery have a new case concerning a psychopathic mage named Lucent Ebon - but this case is different and hitting close to home. With the thought of something terrible slowly approaching, what will become of Valkyrie Cain and her skeleton detective? -eventual Valduggery-
1. Chapter 1

Lucent Ebon was simply prickling in trepidation with the pain he was so readily prepared to inflict. He could barely contain his lopsided smirk as he stalked through the dark halls of his manor, his malicious steps echoing and gradually announcing his presence to his captive. He liked to think his approach was sending shivers down her spine, petrifying her to the point of a break down, but then again he wasn't foolish enough to underestimate her or, in fact, to overestimate himself.

Lucent took a glance out of a window as he passed. He decided to pause. Give the girl some time to hope. He stared out over the manor gardens and beyond to the rolling hills. The sky was singed at the horizon, blazing orange and pink and yellow. Above, the darkness was devouring the light little by little, the stars materializing and glinting like mischievous eyes. Lucent was fond of nights like these. In the end, darkness always won out. With a contented sigh he carried on ambling along the corridor, inwardly congratulating himself on his impeccable décor.

Then finally he came to the penultimate door and Lucent stopped as he pulled out a key from the inner pocket of his jacket. Absent of any attempt of haste, he slipped it into the keyhole and turned the rusted metal. The lock clanked loudly. Lucent nudged the door wide open with his foot and revelled at the sight before his obsidian eyes.

The girl's wrists were shackled and chained to the walls. Her bare, sullied and bloodied feet could scarcely reach the floor. She was slumped with the guise of a dead body, her dark hair dangling in matted strands over her pallid face. She didn't look up as he took dawdling steps toward her. The magic-binding shackles at her wrists had cut into her repeatedly, reopening healing wounds and Lucent noted the blood oozing from the scabs, streaking her muscular arms with crimson. The clothes she wore were stained dark with her own gore and were ripped and torn beyond recognition.

Lucent chuckled and in one swift manoeuvre seized her neck and jerked her face upward, forcing her to look at him. She didn't even resist anymore, the girl simply let him support her head. Oh, but how those dark eyes glared.

"Hello again," Lucent hissed. "Valkyrie Cain."

• • •

There'd been a fourth murder and this time it was a mortal. The sky was grey and the clouds loomed oppressively. Drizzle blurred the street and Valkyrie looked on as Skulduggery entered the crime scene alone — she'd been ordered to stay by the Bentley. Valkyrie was never one for orders but this time she thought it would be for the best.

She awaited Skulduggery's return, her vision at no time deviating from the door of the cottage. She picked at the skin of her nails absent-mindedly. They started to bleed. A Sanctuary agent recognised her and offered a wary 'hello' and Valkyrie nodded in response. She could feel the rain damping her hair gradually but she didn't care. She waited and not once did she consider following the skeleton detective.

In no less than ten minutes, Skulduggery exited failing to regard the Sanctuary official who cursed at him for barging past and knocking him over. When Skulduggery joined his partner, his head was tilted to the ground and he was silent.

"Skulduggery?" Valkyrie murmured.

"It's the same," he replied softly, finally looking at her. "It's you. But not you, obviously."

Valkyrie nodded and got into the car. Skulduggery followed suit.

"How was this one?" Valkyrie stared at the cottage.

"Her name was Tasha, 18, mortal as you know," Skulduggery replied. "Found by her friend who happened to be of the magical community – she was aware of the previous murders and contacted the Sanctuary."

Valkyrie hissed as she tore the skin at her nail away rather viciously. Blood beaded immediately and she stuck the stinging finger into her mouth. The taste of iron saturated her taste buds and her face contorted in disgust.

"How did she die?"

"She bled to death from her wounds, as the others," he answered quietly. "Her whole body was a wound really, not a patch of clear skin…" Skulduggery broke off.

"So this guy, Ebon, is killing – no, _torturing_ – lookalikes of me from both magical and mortal communities with no apparent motive, carving your name into their arms and then disappearing off the face of the bloody earth, leaving no clues at all! What the hell is going on?" Valkyrie snapped, staring at the blood flowering from her torn skin, letting it bleed out.

Skulduggery watched her. The rain began to strengthen, pattering loudly on the roof of the Bentley.

"We know almost everything trivial about this guy, but not where he is."

"Don't worry, we'll find him Valkyrie. We're detectives after all, we're hired to detect things," Skulduggery said as he turned the key in the ignition, the Bentley roaring as it stormed into the road.

"What does he want though? Does he want me? Or you? It just doesn't make any sense?"

"He's most likely a psychopath, he doesn't need a reason. He's just latched onto me, or you or both of us and killing for the sake of it," Skulduggery muttered as he took her through the winding roads.

"Does that mean he's coming for us, Skulduggery?"

"It does seem the logical assumption."

"Well then, he's chosen the wrong gal to mess around with."

• • •

They arrived in Haggard and rolled to a stop at the pier. The evening had drawn in and the grey sky had burnt to black. Valkyrie and Skulduggery were silent for a moment, only the beat of the waves against the shore fracturing the quiet. Skulduggery tilted his head to Valkyrie. She was looking out of the window, thinking.

"Would you like me to stick around?" Skulduggery questioned, his voice quiet, calm. Valkyrie had always appreciated his voice. It was deep and sensual, always there to calm her, placate her. Her calm island in the midst of a raging sea.

"Hm?" she murmured as she was pulled out of her reverie. "What did you say?"

"I said, would you like me to stay?"

"What purpose would that serve?"

"I can look out for you, make sure Ebon doesn't get to you."

Valkyrie smiled gratefully, but patted his arm.

"I'm a big girl Skulduggery, I can look after myself."

"There are many instances that do not concur with that statement," he replied, receiving a playful smack on the shoulder. If he was wearing his facade, he would have been smirking. A comfortable silence fell.

Valkyrie looked out to the sea. The night was clear, the stars twinkling, the moon set aglow, its light rippling upon the surface of the waves. She thought about the girls who had died and she couldn't help feel at fault. Ebon was obviously targeting her or Skulduggery and these girls were dying horribly for nothing. She'd rather Ebon just get to her already.

"If you're thinking of baiting yourself, Valkyrie, you must know that I won't let you," Skulduggery spoke again, this time in complete sincerity.

She looked at him.

"Ebon's far too smart and unpredictable."

"No, I just... I'm just thinking about all those girls. They're dying for nothing; they're dying because they look like me. It's wrong and stupid and I hate it. I feel like it's my fault."

"You can't think that, Valkyrie. It's illogical."

"Well I do," she replied a little snippily. "And if his finding me stops this, then I'd rather him just get to me already."

Skulduggery sighed. "Valkyrie, we'll find him eventually. But we're not going to do that by doing anything rash. Of course we're going to stop him, but I'm not going to let him get to you."

"He could be targeting you for all we know. He's addressing the bodies to you."

Skulduggery shook his head, "No, that is just him trying to get at me, perhaps a warning? He knows you're important to me, but that means the killing of these girls is just leading up to him doing the same to the intended victim."

"Me."

"You."

Valkyrie smiled weakly, and found herself leaning forwards toward Skulduggery, resting her head on his shoulder, her hands flat against his chest. She closed her eyes as she felt his bony, almost weightless arms envelop her. Her fingers clenched slightly into his suit and she noted how pleasant he smelled - a musky smell with a hint of pines. She'd never really paid attention to his scent before, but now that she was, she found it oddly comforting.

Valkyrie felt him - almost hesitantly - begin stroking her hair. She liked it. It was soothing. They rarely got so emotionally affected by a case, but this one was different. Every turn taken in this case led them nowhere, every clue concluded to be hardly worth chasing up, simply because they were so pathetically trivial. They didn't know where Lucent was and most worryingly, couldn't attempt to predict what he was going to do. They were blind. And they didn't like being at a disadvantage. They knew something was coming, but they were helpless to stop it. Lucent was cunning, he was a ghost, there one minute gone the next, uncatchable smoke. It seemed almost daft, to Valkyrie, that this was more affecting than the likes of Serpine or Vengous or the Faceless Ones.

Reluctantly, she eased out of Skulduggery's embrace and smiled. She put her hand gently upon his, then decided to pat it.

"Now, go home you. If I found out you've been staying here, I won't talk to you, ever again."

With a wink, she stepped out of the car and walked home.

Skulduggery watched her until she was out of sight, then put the Bentley in gear and sped off.

• • •

Valkyrie swept herself up to her window ledge and climbed in. Desmond and Melissa were out at a friend's leaving the reflection alone. Stephanie glanced up at Valkyrie, no smile of welcome or a hello. Valkyrie asked her whether anything important had happened. No. Valkyrie slung her jacket onto the floor, thankful again that it couldn't be creased and lay down on the bed.

She was worn out and frustrated. She hated this case. It was all too difficult and unsolvable and nothing was happening. It was like walking through thick mud. She huffed. Why had Skulduggery left, why had she made him leave? Her parents weren't home, he could have stayed, they could have played a game or something. Done something to cheer them both up.

Valkyrie chuckled at the thought of Skulduggery playing Cluedo. He'd likely be a really bad loser. She thought about their hug, and she missed it. Why didn't they hug more often, it was nice although devoid of warmth on his part.

She picked up her phone and dialled Skulduggery's number. He wouldn't be more than a mile or so away. He answered on the first ring.

"Valkyrie, what is it? Are you all right?"

Valkyrie's lips were tugged into a smile as she noted the worry tainting his words.

"Valkyrie?!" Her silence caused his voice to become strained and nervous.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! I was just thinking, seeing as my parents are out, maybe you staying wouldn't have been such a bad idea."

A sigh. "This is why you listen to me in the first place, I know best."

"Do not," Valkyrie smirked, motioning her reflection to step into the mirror.

And then suddenly her reflection was thrown into the wall with a sickening crunch, and fell limply to the floor. Valkyrie spun and screamed in pain as a heavy ornament collided with her nose, which instantly began pumping blood. Through the dazed images in front of her, she could see a man stood casually in the doorway - dressed in a suit, his dark hair slicked back.

With a lazy flick of a wrist, her bedside table rushed her, careening into her chest knocking all the breath out of her. Gasping on the floor, she could hear the faint whispers of Skulduggery shouting her name through the phone. She couldn't muster up any energy, and she was almost heaving with the effort of trying to breath after such a brutal attack.

The man was leaning in the door way, actually leaning as if what he was doing was of no hardship whatsoever. It probably wasn't.

Was that the ghost of a smile upon his lips? Whether it was or not, his expression was vacant and emotionless as he sidled up to Valkyrie. She managed to click a flame into life and threw it ferociously at him as he neared. But with what seemed a twiddle of a finger, water droplets condensed in the air, swallowing the flame and fizzling into death in flurry of steam.

He stepped hard on her phone as he passed - it crunched and the faraway voice of Skulduggery cut off. His hands in his pockets, he leaned down and leered into Valkyrie's face.

Then suddenly she couldn't breathe and she couldn't move. The air was holding her down, and her head was in a bubble devoid of oxygen.

She was going to pass out.

Then die.

Everything darkened. She heaved for breath, her body twitched in eagerness to move. She could feel her eyes bulging.

She probably looked laughably unattractive.

The world swirled into blackness, the last image on her mind one of Lucent Ebon smiling psychotically down at her twitching body and the last thought,

_'Not such a big girl now are we, Valkyrie?'_

* * *

**| NOTES**

Okay, one - I'm really awful at summaries, so if you're reading this you are probably easily intrigued.

Two - don't shout at me if I don't update it soon. Trust me, I'll try!

And three, I hope you like what I've already done and come back to read future installments if I get to them.

Reviews greatly appreciated.

thanks x


	2. Chapter 2

The Bentley's brakes screamed in protest as Skulduggery swung down the drive to Valkyrie's home. He was out of the car the instant it had stopped then proceeded to propel himself through the open window of her bedroom. Skulduggery expected the room to be in a worse state than it actually was - the only difference being the upturned table and the irregular splatters of blood staining the carpet.

Then he noticed the body of his partner sprawled on the floor, unnervingly still. He rushed toward her expecting the worst, and pulled her into his arms.

"Valkyrie-" he halted when he realised with disappointment that this wasn't his partner, but her reflection. Its eyes fluttered as it regained consciousness. He helped her up before quickly leaving her to stand alone. It seemed almost unperturbed by the trauma and recent events.

"What happened, where's Valkyrie?" Skulduggery questioned, his voice impassive.

"She called you, told me to get into the mirror then I saw this guy at the door and the next thing I was unconscious," she explained indifferently.

"So you don't know what happened to Valkyrie?" he said.

"No."

"Well then what use are you," he muttered coldly, as he turned to inspect the room. Following a few subdued moments, he seemed to have gleaned all he could from the crime scene and took out his phone. The reflection watched.

"Ghastly, he has her," Skulduggery informed his friend, his head wilting as he did so. "Ebon, he got her."

The reflection observed him as he nodded and murmured into the speaker, his gloved fingers tapping his leg nervously. He took the phone from where his ear should have been and ended the call, pausing for a moment before finally acknowledging the reflection.

"You should stay out of the mirror until I get Valkyrie back," Skulduggery instructed, turning to leave.

"How do you know she's not already dead?" it questioned seriously, resulting in Skulduggery to stop sharply, his skeletal hands clenching into fists.

"If she were dead, she'd be here," he answered quietly, veiling the rage within but not well enough for the reflection not to sense it.

"I don't think it's entirely fair that you can blame me for this," the reflection said. "Where were you?"

Skulduggery looked sharply to her, so sharply that the thought of him possibly striking her crossed the reflection's mind.

The skeleton detective noted and disliked the alterations that the reflection had undergone since it had been 'born' - it was bolder, opinionated. It wasn't supposed to be like that. And maybe it was one of the reasons he had become so indifferent toward it. He hated it all the more at this moment because she wasn't Valkyrie. Its presence had raised his hopes then shot them down in flames, the fact that all he had now was this mere imitation of his partner, his friend, his. . .

He detested it.

And now it had the gall to point out the obvious to him - he was blaming the reflection for Ebon taking Valkyrie and, like it had said, wrongly so. But it was the only way he could think of to make him feel better about himself. He didn't want to be the reason that Valkyrie was now somewhere with a psychopath, at any moment facing the possibility of death. He should have stayed to protect her, to look out for her like partners should. With a final blank glance at the reflection through his dark eye sockets, he threw himself out of the window, landing with a soft thump. He got into the Bentley and sped off, the reflection closing the window with a slam as he did so

• • •

When Valkyrie awoke she was immediately bombarded with pain – to her head, her chest, her nose, almost everywhere. Every inch of her body screamed in agony, resulting in the release of a small sob.  
_But pain is good_, she told herself, _pain means you're alive_.

After a while, her senses acclimatised and she lifted her head to take in her newly-appointed gaol. It was an average square room, stone walls with, what seemed to be, a host of torturing equipment covering every inch. _Grand_.

There was the smallest of windows high up on the wall behind her, its hollow scarred with iron bars. From that window Valkyrie could feel the iciness of night sweeping in chilling her suspended body, merciless to her predicament. Ahead of her was a door of dark wood – it probably wouldn't be too much trouble kicking it down, if only she could free herself of the infernal chains lashed to her wrists.

Valkyrie could feel the chains dampening her powers and didn't even bother attempting to summon a flame. The icy metal of the shackles bit into her wrists, tearing rapaciously at her pale skin with every movement. Her feet could scarcely brush the floor, which was probably a good thing because it was frozen, but then again tiptoeing managed to give her throbbing arms some reprieve.

So she was now in the custody of the enigmatic Lucent Ebon and she wasn't dead. Valkyrie hoped that was a good sign. Her tongue glided across her lips, feeling and tasting the dried blood that had oozed out of her nose during his inaugural onslaught – it reminded her of tasting the blood from her finger earlier that day, her face twisted in the same revulsion as it had then and then she recalled her words '_I'd rather him just get to me already'. _How foolish, how predictable.

She struggled against her restraints, testing their strength. She hissed as they cut deeper into her wrists, but persevered. After a while though, it became evident that her efforts were futile and she wasn't going anywhere any time soon. She hoped Skulduggery could find her.

The thought of her partner made her contemplate how she wouldn't be in this situation – probably – if she'd just taken him up on his protection detail proposal. She really needed to start stopping her pride from obstructing acceptance of beneficial plans – it was really beginning to make her day-job a pain.

The resonance of lazy footsteps brought her out of her pondering. Loudening with their proximity, Valkyrie held her breath. The languid steps shared the same pace and sense of dread as blood dripping, splattering across concrete floor. Closer. She could hear him sigh as he arrived at the ingress, his legs casting shadows within the small gap beneath the door. A key slipped into the keyhole, complained raucously as it turned and then the door swung open slowly. Everything Lucent Ebon did was reflective of his deadly tranquil demeanour, alike a snake – not rushing, calm, patient, _lethal. _

He stood in the doorway, hands tucked leisurely in the pockets of his blazer. His mouth turned upward with a fleeting, unsettling smirk.

"Valkyrie Cain," his voice was like velvet, rivalling that of Skulduggery but Valkyrie quickly concluded that her partner's was pleasanter. Skulduggery's was tender and compassionate - most of the time - Ebon's on the other hand was callous and haunting. "Welcome to my humble abode."

"Mm, very nice but I'm afraid I can't be staying long," Valkyrie replied nonchalantly, triggering her captor to chuckle in amusement.

"You're a funny girl. Stupid but amusing nonetheless," he brushed his suit down. "And _I'm _afraid that you are staying a little while longer, Miss Cain."

"Aren't you going to kill me?"

"Kill you?" he almost looked shocked. "I'm not going to kill you, no, no, no. At least not yet anyway."

His dark eyes glinted. He started walking, circling about her suspended body and she struggled to keep her eyes on him.

"Why did you kill those girls who looked like me?" she grunted as she shifted position. "Why not just have saved yourself the hassle and got to me first?"

"Instill fear, boredom, _fun_," he hissed, his head jerking in a reptilian manner. "If I _hadn't_ have started with the other girls, you wouldn't have known who I was when I finally got around to you and that wouldn't have been any fun. _Fear_. If I _hadn't _I would be four kills down and that wouldn't have been very impressive."

He was in front of her again, his fingers tapping away at his thigh.

"You think I _fear _you?" Valkyrie spat with a disdainful laugh. His obsidian eyes flashed as they levelled with her own and she cursed herself for flinching. He leaned in, as if he were about to disclose a secret.

"Not as much as you should - but that's to be expected from someone as arrogant as you," he muttered disapprovingly, his eyebrows almost knitting together in a frown. "That's you're problem, far too arrogant, far too reliant on her reputation to put her at an advantage. Reputations can often belie the truth, as it does with yours. What was that back there, definitely not the great Valkyrie Cain everybody's heard about, but then does that version even exist?"

"I could have taken you if I'd been ready, I was at an unfair disadvantage."

"Dear me Valkyrie, your arrogance has deluded even yourself. I don't play fair, girl. No one plays fair. You play fair, you're dead. Surely your precious Skulduggery would've taught you that?"

She glared at him. She really wanted to break his nose, or pop out his eyes.

"Now that you mention him, you do realise that if anything happens to me, he will tear this world apart to find you, then end you in the worst possible way he deems fit?"

He smirked again, his eyes glittering in amusement. He was toying with her, lengthening out the moments before he started what he came to do.

"You are so fond of him, aren't you? It's sweet," his comments reminded Valkyrie of Davina Marr and she felt herself lunge forward in anger, the shackles rattling loudly. "You put too much faith in him, he's not coming to save you. See, _he _is your reputation. Skulduggery Pleasant is a dark individual and worthy of being feared. You on the other hand just feed off his standing with a few lucky blind mistakes. But I don't fear the skeleton detective any more than I do you."

"You know for someone who finds arrogance insufferable, you seem to have a heck of a lot of it," Valkyrie commented.

There was a deadly silence, a disconcerting smirk plastered upon his pale face. His eyes flashed angrily.

"I think that's enough talk," he said oddly calm.

Then Valkyrie started screaming.

* * *

**| NOTES**

Hi, so wow I updated just after a week! I hope I can keep that up.

Shorter chapter this time, but I thought I'd try and get a chapter out today for yehs. I'm just writing this as I go along really, I only have a small plan. I hope you're liking it thus far, and thank you to those who have already commented - it's very much appreciated.

*raises glass* here's to another chapter to be put up next week or before (hopefully)!


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